FOAM and LEAK

[JohnnyShotgun]

I know there a millions FOAM threads but I couldn't find the right one for my problem......

Backstory, Sankey coupler to SunKing Orisis beer. First keg, no problem. Second keg = 50% foam per pint.

I thought it may have gotten shaken, nope.

Dirty lines? Cleaned all of them.

Then I noticed after pulling each pint, my fluid line was developing a 'airbubble' !! WTF!

Disconnected, lubed o-rings, re-tightened, reconnected, wasted about four pints of beer, no fix.

THIS IS DRIVING ME CRAZY TO THE POINT OF THROWING IN THE KEEZER TOWEL AND GO BACK TO BOTTLING (WHICH I HATE!)

Thanks HBT, always fun.

 

[H-ost]

Extract or all-grain?

What was the second recipe?

How long are your lines?

 

[JuanMoore]

What's your serving pressure and what is the ID and length of your beer line? Was the first keg the same beer? You mentioned a leak in the title, what's leaking and where? The bubble of gas forming in the line is often a sign of overcarbonation, or at least a carbonation level above your serving pressure.

Extract or all-grain?

What was the second recipe?

Sounds to me like he's not pouring homebrew, but rather a keg he bought from a local micro.

 

[Biggler6]

I kegged my last batch. Serving about 12psi. Perfect results until probably the last gallon. Every pour I could watch bubbles come out of the keg in the line. I went nuts trying to fix the balance. Finally, to remedy, I dropped pressure down to 2 psi. That reduced turbulence to the point of being pourable. Today I cleaned the system and TAPWATER had bubbles. Closer inspection showed the dip tube has a very small hole in it. When the beer or water got below that point I was injecting co2 in the line.
I guess my point is, if your system is balanced and you still have problems, it might not be your fault.

 

[JohnnyShotgun]

First off, thanks for the responses.

What's your serving pressure and what is the ID and length of your beer line? Was the first keg the same beer? You mentioned a leak in the title, what's leaking and where? The bubble of gas forming in the line is often a sign of overcarbonation, or at least a carbonation level above your serving pressure.

Standard lines and length, never had an issue before with commercially purchased or HB. I THOUGHT it was leaking because of the 'bubble' but NEVER saw any leaking beer. I never thought of a gas bubble, will be burping the keg for a couple days to see if I can correct the issue.

Sounds to me like he's not pouring homebrew, but rather a keg he bought from a local micro.

Summer time leaves me with very little Brew time, so local micros will have to do!

I kegged my last batch. Serving about 12psi. Perfect results until probably the last gallon. Every pour I could watch bubbles come out of the keg in the line. I went nuts trying to fix the balance. Finally, to remedy, I dropped pressure down to 2 psi. That reduced turbulence to the point of being pourable. Today I cleaned the system and TAPWATER had bubbles. Closer inspection showed the dip tube has a very small hole in it. When the beer or water got below that point I was injecting co2 in the line.
I guess my point is, if your system is balanced and you still have problems, it might not be your fault.

Will be dropping pressure and burping keg! I usually serve at 10psi @ 40 degrees. Maybe 8psi will cure it after a few days off gas. Thanks again!

 

[DrinkNoH2O]

Extract or all-grain?

What was the second recipe?

How long are your lines?

Even if these issues weren't with a microbrew, I wondering how those questions would be relevant? Just curious.

 

[H-ost]

Even if these issues weren't with a microbrew, I wondering how those questions would be relevant? Just curious.

I was curious because a recipe with too high of a mash temp and/or too much carapils/wheat could cause you too end up with a beer that has far too much head and would require a very low serving pressure.

 

[DrinkNoH2O]

yeah but that wouldn't cause a bubble in the beer line.

 

[Brewvy]

I to have a beer line bubble issue. I see small bubbles coming from both ends of the hose,corny and tap. First poured beer is half foam,once the line clears its just fine with a good carbonation level. I have 10_12 feet of beer line,am serving at about 45 degrees, at about 12 psi. My beer line is coiled up on top of the kegs, possibly a warmer spot, all the high points of the coil develop the bubbles which makes me think the co2 is coming out of solution and not just coming in from the ends. I carbonated at 16 psi or so. Could the lower dispensing pressure combined with a warmer hose cause the co2 to come out of solution? Thanks for any input.

 

[JuanMoore]

I to have a beer line bubble issue. I see small bubbles coming from both ends of the hose,corny and tap. First poured beer is half foam,once the line clears its just fine with a good carbonation level. I have 10_12 feet of beer line,am serving at about 45 degrees, at about 12 psi. My beer line is coiled up on top of the kegs, possibly a warmer spot, all the high points of the coil develop the bubbles which makes me think the co2 is coming out of solution and not just coming in from the ends. I carbonated at 16 psi or so. Could the lower dispensing pressure combined with a warmer hose cause the co2 to come out of solution? Thanks for any input.

Either lowering the pressure below what corresponds to the carbonation level or warmer lines will cause CO2 to come out of solution. My guess is that your issue is primarily related to the pressure though. If you want to serve the beer at a lower pressure than the beer is carbed to, you need to either reduce the carbonation level in the keg by venting the excess pressure multiple times, or keep the beer at the higher pressure except when serving.

 

[JohnnyShotgun]

UPDATE from OP.

Still having issues. I burped keg for few days until the beer was under-carbed. Put on gas at 8psi. Still developing 'bubble' and foaming for first pull.

I to have a beer line bubble issue. I see small bubbles coming from both ends of the hose,corny and tap. First poured beer is half foam,once the line clears its just fine with a good carbonation level. I have 10_12 feet of beer line,am serving at about 45 degrees, at about 12 psi. My beer line is coiled up on top of the kegs, possibly a warmer spot, all the high points of the coil develop the bubbles which makes me think the co2 is coming out of solution and not just coming in from the ends. I carbonated at 16 psi or so. Could the lower dispensing pressure combined with a warmer hose cause the co2 to come out of solution? Thanks for any input.

THIS ^ I have this same problem with small bubbles from both ends (thanks for explaining it that way! lol). My lines are 4ft serving at 40 degrees with lines 'freehanging'.

Either lowering the pressure below what corresponds to the carbonation level or warmer lines will cause CO2 to come out of solution. My guess is that your issue is primarily related to the pressure though. If you want to serve the beer at a lower pressure than the beer is carbed to, you need to either reduce the carbonation level in the keg by venting the excess pressure multiple times, or keep the beer at the higher pressure except when serving.

Warm lines?! I will try lowering temps to 35 degrees and see if this corrects the problem. Is there any possibility the actual KEG that came from the microbrew has some issue?